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AMERICANIZATION 



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of Governor Smith's Reconstruc- 
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MAY 14, 1919 



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J. B. LYON COMPANY, PRINTERS 

1919 






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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION 
OF THE RECONSTRUCTION COMMISSION 

IN THE MATTER OF AMERICANIZATION 



May 14, 1919. 
To the Governor: 

The people of the State of New York have recently learned 
with alarm that there are in this State approximately 600,000 
illiterates of whom 400,000 are above the age of ten. In the 
National Army numerous cases are reported in which men were 
unable to understand the commands addressed to them because 
ignorant of the meaning of the English words. Under these cir- 
cumstances, it is plain that the laudable efforts now being made 
on a limited scale to abolish illiteracy should be very emphatically 
broadened and intensified. 

But the removal of illiteracy is not the whole or the chief 
object of Americanization. It is of great importance to draw a 
distinction, often overlooked, between adults who are illiterate 
and ignorant and those who are unfamiliar with the English 
language but proficient in some foreign language and at times 
intelligent and well educated. These adults coming to this 
land with foreign speech as their means of communication, but 
lacking the ability to sufficiently master the new language, should 
promptly be made acquainted with American institutions and 
ideals. In Americanization therefore we must sometimes teach 
American history in the language of the foreigner. We should 
find the ablest men in the country acquainted with American 
history and ask them to collaborate with able foreigners who are 
devoted to American ideas and yet speak their own languages 
fluently as well as English. With such men as these, i. e., profes- 
sors of economics, history and social science we should be able 
to work out a course of American history, institutions and ideals 
which can be taught to the foreign born. 

In some communities an attempt is made to solve the American- 
ization problem by means of evening classes. The attendance 



at these evening classes is apt to fall off iu the course of the 
terms. This would seem to indicate a need for imj)rovement in 
the conditions under which they are given or the kind of instruc- 
tion given. 

The English language is the vehicle of intercourse and mutual 
understanding among the American people. To acquire the 
fluent use of English is to cross the threshold of our democracy. 
But many j)ersons, both native and foreign born, pass the 
threshold without entering the inner precincts of citizenship — 
without becoming genuine Americans. It should be stated 
explicitly at the outset that the present movement for American- 
ization will have to contemplate the more complete Americaniza- 
tion of the native born as well as of the foreign born. 

What is implied in essential Americanization ? Americaniza- 
tion has an intellectual aspect, an emotional aspect, and a voli- 
tional aspect. The aim should be to educate the mind, the feel- 
ings and the will in a certain way. To be genuinely American- 
ized is to think as an American, to feel as an American, to act 
as an American, to understand the spirit of America. 

The emotional aspect of the subject is easily disposed of. 
Community singing, for instance, has the desired effect on the 
feelings; pageants, the celebration of patriotic festivals and the 
like, tend to awaken the right emotional response. Under this 
head should also be mentioned how very desirable it is to invest 
admittance to citizenship with something of ceremony and dignity. 
Instead of in the crow^ded court room, naturalizations should 
take place from time to time in the city hall, the schools or in 
other public buildings. 

But the intellectual and volitional aspects of the subject require 
far deeper consideration. How shall we make the newcomer 
think as an American? How shall we ourselves learn to think 
more entirely as Americans ought to think? 

Every American should think hopefully of the institutions 
under which he lives, should train him.self to have faith in the 
possibilities of democracy, despite its apparent shortcomings. 
Much emphasis should be put on the actual achievements of 
Democracy. And in jiarticular American history should be 
taught from the point of view of the ability of Democracy to 



meet great crises, as shown in the crisis that occurred at the time 
when the Constitution was adopted ; in the crisis of the Civil War 
and in the great crisis that is now facing mankind. 

But in considering what it means to be Americanized there is 
perhaps at present no need more urgent than that of inculcating 
the American habit of accepting the verdict of the majority, 
whenever it has been rendered according to law. There are two 
kinds of minority rule: the one autocratic, the other revolu- 
tionary. But minority rule in either guise, autocratic or 
revolutionary, is uncongenial to the American mind. In America 
the majority decides — in the last analysis must decide. The 
habit of peacefully, and even good humoredly, accepting this 
decision, trusting in the long run to reason rather than force to 
modify it, is the most precious political habit which the American 
people have acquired, a habit in which they should still more 
confirm themselves, and which it is one of the prime objects of 
the Americanization movement to instill into those who join our 
citizenship from abroad. 

To put the matter concisely, without the support of the greater 
number of the citizens government cannot be carried on at all. 
Without full liberty guaranteed the minority to win converts 
over to their side, and thus to become the majority, the govern- 
ment is not really democratic, whatever its name may be. 

Finally the evils, due to the indirect influence of powerful and 
selfish minorities, in so far as they exist, must be eliminated 
from the body politic, the American people must in this respect 
be more thoroughly Americanized, and high-minded foreign-born 
citizens must be invited to join with the best among the native 
born to accomplish this process of purification and Americaniza- 
tion. The House of Democracy in America is still in process 
of building. Only its substructure has been laid. 

The practice of publicly debating great public issues is one of 
the prime instruments of educating the public mind. Such de- 
bates should be carried on, not only in largely attended public 
meetings, but in smaller, more intimate gatherings, and especially 
among groups of the foreign-born, who may thus be led to a more 
thorough-going understanding of American institutions and 
ideals. 



6 

The last point to be considered is, how the stranger who enters 
our household may be made not only to think in the American 
way, to feel in the American way, but also to act as an American. 
And here the principle accepted in all modern theories of educa- 
tion of " learning by doing " has striking application. To become 
a democrat one must practice democracy. ]^ow the essential 
feature of democratic citizenship is law-making. 

Initial practice in law-making may be secured by introducing 
a measure of self-government into the schools. Concerted 
neighborhood action is a help. But participation in the govern- 
ment of the industry to which the worker belongs is a further 
and most important step. 

To recapitulate some of the main points that have been stated : 
to abolish illiteracy and spread a general knowledge of the 
English language is but first aid toward Americanization. To 
learn to think as Americans, to feel as Americans, to act as 
Americans, are the three objects to be jointly pursued. Faith in 
the possibilities of democracy must be built up. Minority rule, 
whether autocratic or revolutionary, must be rejected. The 
American habit of accepting the verdict of the majority must be 
deeply inculcated. The principle of " learning by doing " must 
be kept constantly in view. Law making, which is the essential 
feature of democracy, must be practiced in the narrower spheres 
in order that it may be successfully carried out in the wider 
sphere. The foreign-born citizen who enters the national house- 
hold must be regarded as a partner with the native-born in build- 
ing up the unfinished house of freedom. 

In view of these facts and conditions, therefore, your 
Committee makes the following immediately practicable 
recommendations : 

1. We recommend that the annual fund at the disposal of the 

State Department for Americanization be increased as 
far as the financial condition of the State will permit. 

2. We recommend the enactment of a bill establishing continua- 

tion schools for boys and girls at work under eighteen years. 
In such continuation schools, instruction in the English 
language and at least in the elements of American history 



would be included. All of those at present illiterate under 
eighteen years of age would thereby be reached. 

There is at present a law on the statute books attempting 
to attain the same end by imposing a fine for the employ- 
ment of illiterate minors under 18 years of age. But this 
law is not generally enforced or enforceable. A law estab- 
lishing continuation schools for all minors whether illiterate 
or not would not be open to the same objection. 
The Committee recommends, finally, that lectures and stated 
courses in American institutions and ideals be authorized 
and developed more than they have been in the past. The 
Committee believes that in such lectures the use of the 
foreign tongue, instead of being forbidden, should be 
allowed and even encouraged as a necessary provisional 
means of conveying the essential American point of view 
to the foreigners who intend to make their home with us. 
In addition to the above recommendations the following was 
added by the Executive Committee as a substitute for a 
recommendation which was submitted by the Committee 
on Education: 

As for persons over 18 years of age who are unable to 
read and write the English language, some form of com- 
pulsion to acquire the language should be provided. 

ABRAM I. ELKUS, 
Chairman Recofistniction Commission of fJie 
State of New York. 
EELIX ADLER, 
Chairman Committee on Education. 

M. Samuel Sterist, Michael Eeiedsam, 

Mrs. Haeby Hastings, Mrs. L. S. Chanler., 

Peter J. Brady, Charles P. Steinmetz, 

George Foster Peabody, John G. Agar, 
S. J. Lowell, Mrs. Sara A. Conboy, 

Committee on Education. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




011 184 865 8 



